A/N: It's SUNDAY! And you know what that means! So here's Chapter 7 - hope you like it. Thanks for the reviews and the favoriting and the following of me and my story(ies). Love you guys - and enjoy!
Chapter 7
Unbeknownst to me, while I lay sleeping with his wife curled up on my shoulder, Cullen is beside himself, pacing the border of the Quileute Nation like a cat in a cage. He knows better than to set foot in our boundary, but he wants to so bad he can taste it. The pack is aware, but they're hanging back because they want him to step over the line. When he does, they have leave to take his head off. If I were there when this was happening, I would have warned him. But I'm busy sleeping with Bella, so I don't get the opportunity.
My first inkling of the problem that's going on at the perimeter of our land is Seth, knocking at my bedroom window. Bella is so sound asleep that she doesn't even move as I slide out from under the covers. Was it only two nights ago that I did this same thing lying next to Shea so I could answer Bella's phone call? Jeez, it seems like two weeks. So much has happened.
I go to the window and motion to Seth to go to the kitchen door. Making sure the window is securely locked, not that it would keep Cullen out if he really wanted to get in, I slither out the bedroom door and meet Seth in the kitchen.
"S'up bro?" I say, shaking his hand.
"Okay, Jake, don't freak out," Seth says with a worried look on his face. "The leech is on the border. He hasn't actually stepped over, but he's itching to get in. What do you want us to do?"
See, this is where I don't want the stupid Alpha thing. I hate being in charge of my pack. I don't like to be the one making decisions. But I'm it, by birth no less, so there's no getting away from it.
"What are you doing now?" I ask.
"Quil and Leah are there," he says, referring to one of my best friends, Quil, and the lone female wolf in either pack, Leah. "They're phased, so he knows better than to try to come in."
"He alone?" I ask tersely, thinking.
"So far as we can tell," Seth answers.
"What about Sam?" I ask. I'm sure Sam knows what's going on, and though I'm not in any way in charge of his wolves, I still want to know where they are.
"He knows what's going on," Seth supplies. "He has Paul and Jared patrolling right now."
What Seth means is that two of Sam's pack members are running the borders, checking for other bloodsuckers. While I'm glad he's being proactive, I don't agree with wasting them patrolling. They should be here, guarding my place, since this is where Bella is. I know there's no love lost between Sam and Bella, but it's not like any of the Cullens would attack - they just want Bella back.
My mind races. If Cullen or any of his coven get through, they're coming straight here, and Sam has to know that. I don't like the idea of going back to bed when the threat of incoming vamps is imminent. And the bedroom has more than one point of entry; the window and the door. I can't be on guard outside both.
"Where is Sam?" I ask Seth.
"Far as I know, he's out there too," Seth answers.
Shit.
Well, the only thing for me to do is to phase. I don't like leaving Bella here, especially with two ways to get into the room she's in. I don't want to wake her up to make her move either. She needs her sleep; poor kid's like a zombie. And Seth is only one person. He can phase and wait in my room, just in case, while I phase and try to talk to Sam. See, the pack mind only works with my pack, but Sam and I, as Alphas, can communicate in a semi-limited way while we're both phased.
Stupid fuckin vamp! Why can't he just let her alone for one night?
Well, she is his wife. But still.
"Okay, here's what we're doing then," I say. "We're both gonna phase. Then you'll stay in the room with Bella, got that? I'm going to try to talk to Sam, get him to bring Paul and Jared here to patrol my place. I'll go talk to Cullen." This last part kills me, because of what Bella's told me, but I can't see any way around it. I'm guessing he won't leave until he knows Bella's safe, and the only way he can find that out for sure is to talk to me.
"Okay," Seth agrees. He's a good soldier, always takes orders without question. I wouldn't really classify this as an order but...you know what I mean.
"Okay, phase outside so you don't wreck Billy's kitchen," I tell Seth. "I'm gonna check on Bells, and then I'll let you in. Do a lap around the place, will ya?"
He nods and leaves the way he came in. I silently creep back to my room and ease the door open. The light's on so I can see clearly that Bella's still sound asleep and hasn't moved an inch.
Okay. My mind's at ease now. I leave the door slightly ajar for Seth, since he won't be able to open it as a wolf, and go to the kitchen to let him in.
He's waiting and seems calm, and while I can't detect any scent of leech in the neighborhood, I'm pretty sure he didn't see anything out of the ordinary on his lap around my property either. I nod at him. "I'm gonna lock the door behind me," I tell him. "When I get back, phase back and let me in." His big shaggy head nods once and I leave, locking the door as promised.
Once outside, I undress - still only wearing those dirty sweats - and shimmer down into the wolf. Immediately I can hear the thoughts of everyone in my pack, but nothing from Sam. I communicate the plan to Leah and Quil, and let Seth know I'm leaving. Seth lets me know that everything's fine with Bella, so I take off double speed to find Sam.
After only a few minutes of sending out a signal, Sam answers me. He's on the north corner of the border, only a few miles away, running patrol just like Seth thought. I relay my worries to him, and to my surprise he volunteers to have Paul and Jared patrol my place. He knows their best chance of catching a vamp is wherever Bella is. Chick's a virtual bloodsucker magnet.
I let Sam know I'm going to talk to Cullen. He doesn't seem to think that's a good idea.
"Jacob, I don't think you know what he's capable of when it comes to Bella. He's completely out of his mind," Sam thinks.
"I'm pretty sure I do," I tell Sam calmly. "I heard what he said at Charlie's about controlling who she sees. I know he's crazy." Of course, now I know more that I'm not telling him. Things that are too unspeakable to think about, let alone mention. I'm glad he can only read the parts of my mind that I'm letting him see.
"Thanks for putting Paul and Jared on the job," I tell him. "I'm going to talk to Cullen. You're welcome to come if you want."
"I think I'll keep up the patrol, in case any more of the coven shows up." It's a reasonable worry, so I agree with him and take off.
I can tell from the thoughts of Leah and Quil that Cullen is still pacing along the border. He hasn't moved from the road where they first saw him a few hours ago, probably just about the time Bella talked to her dad on the phone. Leah's nervous - she hates the bloodsuckers more than most of us do - but Quil is okay and he's keeping her under control. I'm sure Cullen knows they're near from their scent, but so far no one has made contact.
It occurs to me that I didn't bring my pants, and I'm just a little frustrated at that. Now if I decide to phase, I'll have to stand there nude in front of him. That can be humiliating. But I can spin it the other way too, be all cocky - no pun intended - and sure of myself and make him the uncomfortable one. Yep, that's what I'll do.
I relay a question to Seth, "How is she?"
"Hasn't moved a muscle. Poor thing's dead tired."
"No bloodsuckers hanging around?" I confirm.
"Not a one," he answers cheerfully.
I fill him in on the fact that Paul and Jared will be around soon. "You're about ten minutes late, bro," Seth informs me. "They're already here."
"Good," I think. I'm coming up on Cullen now. I let Quil and Leah know they can stand down, and move slowly into his line of vision.
As soon as he sees me, his ultra-quick vampire reflexes have him literally inches from my jaws. "Where is she?" he snarls. "You left her alone, mongrel?" Despite his vicious demands, he's very careful to stay on his side of the treaty line. It says a lot about the crazy bloodsucker in front of me.
"She's fine. Sound asleep with the light on." I can't resist the dig. I let my mind wander - I think of what Bella told me earlier. His face changes. It's pained - and furious.
"What did you do to her to get her to tell you that?" he spits, enraged.
I'm incredulous. I decide now is a good time to phase back, and I stand up on my hind legs – no easy feat for a wolf my size - and let the wolf go. I sneer at him pompously as he peers up at my disgusted expression. I get right in his face, just like he did to me. "What did I do to her? Not a thing. She wanted to tell me. She hates it. She's starting to hate you," I tell him.
He knows I'm lying about that last part, but I don't care. If I can plant the smallest seed of doubt in him, it will be worth whatever celestial punishment is in store for me. I strut back and forth along the border, and I can tell he's uncomfortable with my nudity. Freaking Puritan.
I don't care. In fact, I like that he's irritated. I don't feel awkward in any way – I'm used to walking around nude in the forest. I deliberately turn toward him, so he can see me in all my glory. He thinks he's big? He doesn't know what big is. And Bells was able to handle it – though he still doesn't know that and won't find out from me if I can help it.
To prevent the thoughts I'm about to have regarding Bells and I last summer, I think again about what the hell he could be doing to her with ice – and what the hell could he be stretching her with? I feel nauseated all over again. God, he's a twisted fuck!
I can sense the disgust regarding what Cullen's doing to Bella emanating from Quil, Leah and Seth, but not a growl or a whine comes from any of them. Cullen can tell too and he looks down at the pavement, suffering plain in his face.
"I don't know what else to do," he whispers brokenly.
Does he expect me to feel sorry for him?
"No," he answers my thought annoyingly. "But I'm afraid, Jacob. I'm afraid to give her what she wants. I'm afraid I'll kill her."
God, I'm glad he can read my musings. Because at this point I think it's an easy, logical decision for him. Leave. Get out. I'll take over from here.
He meets my eye with loathing. "Of course that's what you think. Always the easy way out for you, isn't it, dog?"
"Easy way out? Is that what you think this is? There's nothing easy about this, vamp," I say viciously. "Especially not for the girl you profess to love but who you continue to hurt."
He's immediately contrite. "You're right, and fair is fair. Nothing here is easy for either of us," he concedes. But that's not enough for me.
"And you're wrong, leech. The solution is for you to leave. It won't be easy for her and it won't be easy for you, but the decision itself is easy. Leave."
"So you can claim her?" he snarls. "At least with me she has a home, opportunities. With you she'll live destitute on a disgusting spur of land with a pack of wailing hounds, all waiting to rip her face off at the first chance."
Oh no he didn't just start in on my people. "Where the fuck do you get off, bloodsucker? You can't even fuck your own wife because you're afraid you'll kill her! I've never hurt Bella the way you have!" I shoot back at him. "And don't you dare malign the Quileute Nation. Treaty or no, I'll rip your cocksucking head off."
"Lovely language, Jacob," he intones, all superior.
"The fact remains that you made a mistake, leech. You should leave her, let her heal." I ignore his lame-ass comment on my phrasing. I'll show you foul-mouthed, fucker.
"I gave her my word I'd never leave her again," he says, dejected.
"So break your word. You're a fuckin vampire for Chrissake. You spend your days killing living things. A little renege on your part is pretty much part of your character." I fold my arms over my bare chest and puff out a little. Yeah, I'm annoying the ever-lovin' shit out of him.
"I spend my days killing living things?" he spits. "You're so above it all? You never eat meat?" he asks savagely. Typical bullshit rant of a monster – trying to somehow justify the disgusting way he lives his pathetic excuse for a life.
"I don't waste entire carcasses. My people don't have the luxury of that extravagance," I say loftily. I'm repulsed by his implication.
This seems to shut him up. I gather my wits, remembering why I'm here in the first place - for Bella. I consciously center myself, taking a deep breath and letting go of the anger and frustration I feel in his presence.
"Listen, Cullen, she's fine for tonight. She needs some time away. A break. Just give her a little room. She said she'd see you tomorrow," I say deliberately, slowly so he'll get it.
I can almost feel him pawing through my head as I remember Bella curled up against my shoulder. "Don't you dare touch her!" he snarls suddenly.
"Ha!" I say derisively. "I'd never touch her after what you've been doing to her, you disgusting parasite," I match and exceed the vitriol he's spewing. "Unlike you, I truly want what's best for her. Go home."
"I'm going," he says. "You'll tell her I love her?"
I roll my eyes and huff a laugh. "I'll relay the message," I say sarcastically. I stand there, arms folded over my chest, nude. I can feel a kind of swagger as I stand there, kind of an egotistical enjoyment of the situation. I've pushed him away successfully. Even though I can't do anything with married Bella, I can still cuddle up to her all night and take some contentment in the fact that I'm the one comforting her.
"Thank you," he says, turning away.
When he's a good way down the road and I'm pretty sure I'm out of range of his sixth sense and his vampire ears, I tell Leah and Quil to keep up the patrol for the night. I don't trust him not to return with his coven and try to kidnap my girl. Meanwhile I phase and get word to Seth that I'm on my way back and he assures me that Bella is still sleeping, none the wiser. I breathe a sigh of relief. It worked.
As I run back home, I send out a signal for Sam, who answers me immediately.
"What's the story?" he demands.
"I sent the bloodsucker home," I tell him. "Quil and Leah are gonna patrol through the night though. I doubt they'll come out tomorrow – it's supposed to be sunny."
"Good," he thinks. "You heading back now?" The nature of the Alpha communication only allows Sam to hear what I want him to; he can't see where I am like I can see where my pack members are.
"Yeah," I tell him. "You can call Paul and Jared off. I'll have Seth do patrols around my place."
"That's okay, I'll leave Jared there. Seth can take a breather," Sam informs me generously.
"Thanks, Sam. I appreciate it." Sam knows that I'd rather not have my whole pack out all night if I don't have to. Having Embry gone at college is tough on my other pack members. Sam has four members besides himself, and so did I up until September. Embry got a scholarship, though. Can't really argue with that. Now I'm down a man and he still has Colin and Brady in reserve. He can afford to leave a member or two out all night. I don't have the same luxury.
"No problem," he thinks, and then he blinks out on me. He must be communicating with his pack. I continue through the woods until I see my little house through the trees. It looks so peaceful from here, the window of my room shining like a beacon. There's no way anyone would think there was so much turmoil within those four walls.
"Seth, I'm back. Sam says he'll leave Jared here so you can go home," I tell him. "Phase back and let me in."
Seth is at the door, bare-ass naked, in a few seconds. Tying my sweats, I push past him. "Put some pants on," I say with a laugh.
Seth comes back in dressed a few minutes later. "Wow, that Edward and Bella thing is fucked up, huh?" he says.
"Fucked up doesn't even begin to cover it," I remark wryly. "That guy is one twisted dude."
Seth shakes his head as if to jar the thought out of it. "Creep," he says under his breath.
"Exactly," I agree. "Now I'm going back to bed and I want you to go home and get some sleep, okay?"
"Okay," he agrees readily. I lock the doors behind him and nod at Jared from the window where I can see him lurking in the trees. I feel better just knowing he's out there. It means I'll be able to sleep.
I ease back into my room and Bella turns over. "Is everything okay?" she asks sleepily. My heart softens just looking at her. She seems so young and innocent lying there, all drowsy and bedheaded.
"Yep, go back to sleep," I tell her. She blinks up at me, letting her eyes adjust to the light.
"You're coming back to bed, right?" she asks.
"Yep," I say, lifting the covers and sliding in. She shuffles right on over to me, putting her head on my shoulder just like she had it before. I put my arm around her again and pull her even closer. Just having her nearby soothes me like nothing else ever could.